Succubus Blues CHAPTER 3

Of course, I should clarify at this point that Jerome doesn't look like a demon, at least not in the traditional red skin and horns sense. Maybe he does on another plane of existence, but like Hugh, me, and all the other immortals walking the earth, Jerome wore a human guise now. One that looked like John Cusack. Seriously. No joke. The archdemon always claimed he didn't even know who the actor was, but none of us bought that. † Ow,† I said irritably. â€Å"Let me go.† Jerome released his grasp, but his dark eyes still glinted dangerously. â€Å"You look good,† he said after a moment, seeming surprised by the admission. I tugged at my sweater, straightening it from where his hand had crumpled it. â€Å"You have a funny way of showing your admiration.† â€Å"Really good,† he continued thoughtfully. â€Å"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you – â€Å" † – shine,† murmured a voice behind the demon. â€Å"You shine, Daughter of Lilith, like a star in the night sky, like a diamond glittering on the bleakness of eternity.† I started in surprise. Jerome cut a sharp glance to the speaker, not liking his monologue interrupted. I also glared, not liking an uninvited angel in my apartment. Carter only smiled at both of us. â€Å"As I was saying,† snapped Jerome, â€Å"you look like you've been with a good mortal.† â€Å"I did a favor for Hugh.† â€Å"So this isn't the start of a new and improved habit?† â€Å"Not on the salary you pay me.† Jerome grunted, but it was all part of a routine between us. He would berate me for not taking my job seriously, I'd give a few witty quips in return, and the status quo would resume. Like I said, I was something of a teacher's pet. Looking at him now, however, I could see no more jokes would follow. The charm that had so enthralled my customers today had no effect on these two. Jerome's face was drawn and serious, as was Carter's, despite the angel's usual sardonic half-smile. Jerome and Carter hung out together regularly, especially when alcohol was involved. This baffled me since they were supposedly locked in some sort of great, cosmic struggle. I'd once asked Jerome if Carter was a fallen angel, which had elicited a good laugh from the demon. When he'd recovered from the hilarity, he'd told me no, Carter hadn't fallen. If he had, he wouldn't technically be an angel anymore. I hadn't really found that answer satisfying and finally decided the two must stay together because there was no one else in this area who could relate to an existence stretching back to the beginning of time and creation. All the rest of us lesser immortals had been human at some point before; greater immortals like Jerome and Carter had not. My centuries were a mere blip on their timeline. Whatever the reasons for his presence now, I didn't like Carter. He wasn't obnoxious like Duane, but he always seemed so smug and supercilious. Maybe it was an angel thing. Carter also had the most bizarre sense of humor I'd ever seen. I could never tell if he was making fun of me or not. â€Å"So what can I do for you boys?† I asked, tossing my purse on the counter. â€Å"I've got places to be tonight.† Jerome fixed me with a narrow-eyed look. â€Å"I want you to tell me about Duane.† â€Å"What? I already did. He's an asshole.† â€Å"Is that why you had him killed?† â€Å"I – what?† I froze where I'd been sifting through cupboard contents and slowly turned around to look back at the duo, half expecting some joke. Both faces were in earnest, watching me. â€Å"Killed? How†¦ how does that work?† â€Å"You tell me, Georgie.† I blinked, suddenly realizing where this was going. â€Å"Are you accusing me of killing Duane? And wait†¦ this is stupid. Duane isn't dead. He can't be.† Jerome began pacing, his voice exaggeratedly civil. â€Å"Oh, I assure you, he is quite dead. We found him this morning, just before sunrise.† â€Å"So what? He died of sun exposure?† That was the only way I'd ever heard a vampire could die. â€Å"No. He died because of the stake wedged into his heart.† † Ew.† â€Å"So are you ready to tell me who you got to do it, Georgie?† â€Å"I didn't get anyone to do it! I can't even – I don't even understand what this is about. Duane can't be dead.† â€Å"You admitted to me last night you two got in a fight.† â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And you threatened him.† â€Å"Yeah, but I was joking†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think he told me you said something about him never coming near you again?† â€Å"I was angry and upset! He was scaring me. This is crazy. Besides, Duane can't be dead.† That was the only piece of sanity I could cling to in all of this, so I kept repeating it to them and to myself. Immortals were, by definition, immortal. End of story. â€Å"Don't you know anything about vampires?† the arch-demon asked curiously. â€Å"Like that they can't die?† Amusement flickered in Carter's gray eyes; Jerome found me less funny. â€Å"I'm asking you one last time, Georgina. Did you or did you not have Duane killed? Just answer the question. Yes or no.† â€Å"No,† I said firmly. Jerome glanced at Carter. The angel studied me, his lank blond hair falling forward to partially cover his face. I realized then why Carter was along for the ride tonight. Angels can always discern truth from lies. At last, he nodded sharply to Jerome. â€Å"Glad I passed the test,† I muttered. But they weren't paying attention to me anymore. â€Å"Well,† observed Jerome grimly, â€Å"I guess we know what this means.† â€Å"Well, we don't know for sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  † I do.† Carter gave him a meaningful look, and several seconds of silence passed. I'd always suspected the two were communicating mentally in such moments, something we lesser immortals could not do unassisted. â€Å"So Duane's really dead?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome, remembering I was there. â€Å"Very much so.† â€Å"Who killed him then? Now that we've determined it wasn't me?† The two glanced at each other and shrugged, neither answering. Negligent parents, both of them. Carter pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. Lord, I hated it when they got this way. Finally Jerome said, â€Å"A vampire hunter.† I stared. â€Å"Really? Like that girl on TV?† â€Å"Not exactly.† â€Å"So where are you going tonight?† asked Carter pleasantly. â€Å"To Seth Mortensen's signing. And don't change the subject. I want to know about this vampire hunter.† â€Å"Are you going to sleep with him?† â€Å"I – what?† For half a moment, I thought the angel was asking me about the vampire hunter. â€Å"You mean Seth Mortensen?† Carter exhaled smoke. â€Å"Sure. I mean, if I were a succubus obsessed with a mortal author, that's what I'd do. Besides, doesn't your side always want more celebrities?† â€Å"We've already got plenty of celebrities,† Jerome said in an undertone. Sleep with Seth Mortensen? Good grief. It was the most preposterous thing I'd ever heard. It was appalling. If I absorbed his life force, there was no telling how long it'd be until his next book came out. â€Å"No! Of course not.† â€Å"Then what are you going to do to get noticed?† â€Å"Noticed?† â€Å"Sure. I mean, the guy probably sees tons of fans on a regular basis. Don't you want to stand out in some way?† Surprise washed over me. I hadn't even considered that. Should I have? My jaded nature made it difficult to find pleasure in many things nowadays. Seth Mortensen books were one of my few escapes. Should I acknowledge that and attempt to connect with the novels' creator? Earlier today, I'd mocked run-of-the-mill fans. Was I about to become one of them? â€Å"Well†¦ I mean, Paige will probably introduce the staff privately to him. I'll sort of stand out then.† â€Å"Yes, of course.† Carter put out the cigarette in my kitchen sink. â€Å"I'm sure he never gets the opportunity to meet bookstore management.† I opened my mouth to protest, but Jerome cut me off. â€Å"Enough.† He gave Carter another of those meaningful looks. â€Å"We need to go.† â€Å"I – wait a minute!† Carter had succeeded in derailing me off the topic after all. I couldn't believe it. â€Å"I want to know more about this vampire hunter.† â€Å"All you need to know is that you should be careful, Georgie. Extremely careful. I am not joking about this.† I swallowed, hearing the iron in the demon's voice. â€Å"But I'm not a vampire.† â€Å"I don't care. These hunter types sometimes follow vampires around, hoping to find others. You could be implicated by association. Lay low. Avoid being alone. Stay with others – mortal or immortal, it doesn't matter. Maybe you can follow up on your favor for Hugh and score some more souls for our side while you're at it.† I rolled my eyes at that as the two walked to the door. â€Å"I mean it. Be careful. Keep a low profile. Don't get involved with this.† â€Å"And,† added Carter with a wink, â€Å"say hi to Seth Mortensen for me.† With that, the two left, closing the door gently behind them. A formality really, since either of them could have just teleported out. Or blown my door apart. I turned to Aubrey. She had watched the proceedings cautiously from the back of my sofa, tail twitching. â€Å"Well,† I told her, reeling. â€Å"What am I supposed to make of that?† Duane was actually dead? I mean, yeah, he was a bastard, and I had been pretty pissed when I threatened him last night, but I'd never actually wanted him to be really dead. And what about this vampire hunter business? Why was I supposed to be careful when – â€Å"Shit!† I had just glanced at my microwave clock. It coolly informed me I needed to return to the bookstore ASAP. Pushing Duane out of my brain, I dashed to my bedroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Aubrey followed more sluggishly. What to wear? I could just keep my current outfit. The sweater and khakis combination looked both respectable and subdued, though the color scheme blended a bit too well with my light brown hair. It was a librarian sort of outfit. Did I want to look subdued? Maybe. Like I had told Carter, I really didn't want to do anything that might solicit the romantic interest of my favorite author in the whole world. Still†¦ Still, I remembered what the angel had said about getting noticed. I didn't want to be just another face in Seth Mortensen's crowd. This was the final stop on his latest tour. No doubt he'd seen thousands of fans in the last month, fans who blurred together into a sea of bland faces, making their inane comments. I had advised the guy at the counter to be innovative with his questions, and I intended to behave the same way with my appearance. Five minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror once more, this time clad in a silk tank top, deep violet and low-cut, paired with a floral chiffon skirt. The skirt almost covered my thighs and swirled when I spun. It would have made a great dancing outfit. Stepping into strappy brown heels, I glanced over at Aubrey for confirmation. â€Å"What do you think? Too sexy?† She began cleaning her tail. â€Å"It is sexy,† I conceded, â€Å"but it's classy sexy. The hair helps, I think.† I had pulled my long hair up into a romantic sort of bun, leaving wavy locks to frame my face and enhance my eyes. Momentary shape-shifting made them turn greener than usual. Changing my mind, I let them go back to their normal gold-and-green-flecked hazel. When Aubrey still refused to acknowledge how awesome I looked, I grabbed my snakeskin coat and glared at her. â€Å"I don't care what you think. This outfit was a good call.† I left the apartment with my copy of The Glasgow Pact and walked back to work, impervious to the drizzle. Another perk of shape-shifting. Fans milled inside the main retail area, eager to see the man whose latest book still dominated the bestseller lists, even after five weeks. I squeezed past the group, making my way toward the stairs that led to the second floor. â€Å"Young adult books are over there by the wall.† Doug's friendly voice drifted nearby. â€Å"Let me know if you need anything else.† He turned away from the customer he'd been helping, caught sight of me, and promptly dropped the stack of books he'd been holding. Customers stepped back, politely watching him kneel down to retrieve the books. I recognized the covers immediately. They were paperbacks of Seth Mortensen's older titles. â€Å"Sacrilege,† I commented. â€Å"Letting those touch the ground. You'll have to burn them now, like a flag.† Ignoring me, Doug gathered up the books and then ushered me off out of earshot. â€Å"Nice of you to go home and change into something more comfortable. Christ, can you even bend over in that?† â€Å"What, do you think I'll have to tonight?† â€Å"Well, that depends. I mean, Warren's here after all.† â€Å"Harsh, Doug. Very harsh.† â€Å"You bring it on yourself, Kincaid.† He gave me a reluctant, appreciative glance just before we started climbing the stairs. â€Å"You do look pretty good, though.† â€Å"Thanks. I wanted Seth Mortensen to notice me.† â€Å"Believe me, unless he's gay, he'll notice you. Probably even then too.† â€Å"I don't look too slutty, do I?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Or cheap?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I was going for classy sexy. What do you think?† â€Å"I think I'm done feeding your ego. You already know how you look.† We crested the top of the stairs. A mass of chairs had been set up, covering most of the cafe's normal seating area and spreading out into part of the gardening and maps section of books. Paige, the store manager and our superior, busily attempted some sort of wiring acrobatics with the microphone and sound system. I didn't know what this building had been used for before Emerald City Books moved in, but it was not an ideal venue for acoustics and large groups. â€Å"I'm going to help her,† Doug told me, kindly chivalrous. Paige was three months pregnant. â€Å"I'd advise you do something that doesn't involve leaning more than twenty degrees in any one direction. Oh, and if somebody tries to get you to touch your elbows together behind your back, don't fall for it.† I gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, nearly making him lose the books again. Bruce, still manning the espresso counter, made me my fourth white chocolate mocha of the day, and I wandered over to the geography books to drink it while I waited for things to pick up. Glancing beside me, I recognized the guy I'd discussed Seth Mortensen with earlier. He still held his copy of The Glasgow Pact. â€Å"Hey,† I said. He jumped at the sound of my voice, having been absorbed in a travel book about Texas. â€Å"Sorry,† I told him. â€Å"Didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"I – no, you d-didn't,† he stammered. His eyes assessed me from head to toe in one quick glance, lingering ever so briefly on my hips and breasts but longest on my face. â€Å"You changed clothes.† Apparently realizing the myriad implications behind such an admission, he added hastily, â€Å"Not that that's bad. I mean that's good. Er, well, that is – â€Å" His embarrassment growing, he turned from me and tried to awkwardly replace the Texas book back on the shelf, upside down. I hid my smile. This guy was too adorable. I didn't run into many shy guys anymore. Modern-day dating seemed to demand men make as great a spectacle of themselves as possible, and unfortunately, women seemed to really go for it. Okay, even I went for it sometimes. But shy guys deserved a break too, and I decided a little harmless flirting with him would be good for his ego while I waited for the signing to start. He probably had terrible luck with women. â€Å"Let me do that,† I offered, leaning across him. My hands touched his as I took the book from him, replacing it carefully on the shelf, front cover out. â€Å"There.† I stepped back as though to admire my handiwork, making sure I stood very close to him, our shoulders nearly touching. â€Å"It's important to keep up appearances with books,† I explained. â€Å"Image goes a long way in this business.† He dared a look over at me, still nervous but steadily recovering his composure. â€Å"I go more for content.† â€Å"Really?† I repositioned slightly so that we were touching again, the soft flannel of his shirt brushing my bare skin. â€Å"Because I could have sworn a moment ago you were pretty caught up in outside appearance.† His eyes shifted down again, but I could see a smile curving his lips. â€Å"Well. Some things are so striking, they can't help but draw attention to themselves.† â€Å"And doesn't that make you curious about what's inside?† â€Å"Mostly it makes me want to get you some advanced copies.† Advanced copies? What did he – ? â€Å"Seth? Seth, where – ah, there you are.† Paige turned down our aisle, Doug following behind. She brightened when she saw me, and I felt my stomach sink out of me and hit the floor with a thud as I put two and two together. No. No. It couldn't be – â€Å"Ah, Georgina. I see you've already met Seth Mortensen.†

The Cave – Creative Writing

Averting attention had always been far too easy for Deft. Imperial transponder codes, too easy to attain, to forge†¦ or have forged. â€Å"Commander Derivan, you have permission to proceed to sector 478. Please sir, do be careful, it is a savage world.†, the comm officer pleaded. â€Å"Thank you for your concern officer, it is duly noted.†, Deft arrogantly replied as he steered his Oppressor towards the planet. The small clearing was easy to see through the lush vegetation. He would owe the Captain for yet another favor. It was of no true concern to him however, he already owed him far more than he could probably ever repay. The lush surrounding vegetation violently shook as he touched down. Switching off the power, the whine of the generator slowly quelled, Deft stepped from the vessel, wearing only his robes under a black cloak, wielding his newly crafted lightsaber. The visions were weaker now, more distant. His thoughts were clearing. He began his trek through the dense jungle. Somehow, even after all this time†¦. Yinchorr felt inviting. The rocks around him hovered carefully in place. â€Å"You must feel it move within you.†, the small pyramid shaped holocron had instructed. The instruction was efficient. He was coming along quickly. The rocks began to swirl around him†¦ slowly at first, then gradually faster†¦. and faster still, until they were but blurred images of themselves. Deft's eyes closed with a cold determination as his head lowered slightly, focusing himself. The air seemed to hiss as the rocks spun violently around him. Images flooded his mind. Pale blue eyes, familiar, cold, callous. â€Å"You drove her away.†, the voice hissed. Pale blue eyes, calling to him distantly. â€Å"Why didn't you come?†, the new, softer voice implored. Pale blue eyes, exploding into blue flames. The flames faded to green. Deft felt himself pulled across the galaxy. Dathomir, a famliar place, once, home. The elder stood over the cauldron, her arms flailing in the air as she spoke her incantation. Spinning on her heal, her cold green eyes met with Deft's. â€Å"You only think you have won Deriun.† All he could see were the eyes. All he could hear, the roar of the flames. But no longer were they the Elders. Rosalyn gazed back at him. â€Å"Why have you foresaken me?†, her pained voice begged. Blackness. Void. A gentle hand reached out to him†¦. but he couldn't grab it, couldn't hold it, touch it. It slipped, further and further into the darkness. *CRACK CRACK CRACK* â€Å"GASP!†, The rocks had flown wildly out of control, and found themselves crashing into a nearby tree, the sound, pulling Deft from his vision. Even now, none of it seemed to make sense. He had come here for answers, but was only finding more questions. Training had been difficult. The holocron seemed to guide him with exercises intended to push a man beyond humanity. Deft yawned as it rambled on about running with the force, he had no interest in learning to be a coward. This wasn't helping the way he had hoped. He threw holocron in his pack. I've had enough of that. His red saber ignited, and he rushed off into the woods. For a fleeting moment, Deft succumbed to his youthful urges. As he ran through the foliage, he cut down branches, nicked rocks. Faster and faster, leaving a wake of mild destruction in his path. The trail of smoke and destruction, came to an abrupt halt. Deft stood, silently, watching out over the open field he had come to. â€Å"I do†, the words rolled so easily off of her lips. Deft had honestly never thought he'd see her again. The day she married Martyn, a piece of him had died. Then he saw the Watchtower, sitting high above Penumbra. â€Å"I am hearing rumor that there is to be an arranged marriage Deft.†, her words cut him. â€Å"My dear, I would never allow such.†, the words caused the air to stiffen, silent for a fleeting moment, â€Å"If we were to wed, it would be because we love each other.†, Deft stepped in, kissing her for the first time. The kiss, her hands at his back†¦.. they burned. Seering pain raged through him, coursing through his veins. He dropped to the ground, in utter agony. His scream echoed through the empty field. Then, he saw her, shackled to a grate, dangling over a flame, flickering between green and blue hues. Was this a vision of things to come? The vision changed as quickly as it had appeared. Rosalyn and Boden stood in the purple fields of Dantooine, together. Boden grasped her hand. The pain was becoming unbearable now, he could almost feel his flesh melting from his body. Sleep†¦.. it was the only escape. Deft's worn body, and torn psyche, collapsed to the ground, saber in one hand, and a small purple Corellian flower in the other. â€Å"Soon, my dear Aklin†¦. very soon indeed.†, the woman's cackling echoed in Deft's mind as he awoke. The rain fell on his face, but the soft touch of rain could not alleviate the pain he felt. He touched his back, the memory of the agony still with him. How long had he been asleep? How long had he been lying here? For a brief moment, he looked at the flower in his left hand, before tucking it safely away, wrapped in a piece of paper, in his pack. Through the foliage, he sensed something. Something nearby. Something, strong. He made his way cautiously, silently, through the jungle. His head peaked around a large tree to see it. As he stood in the entrance, he could sense something. It clouded him slightly, and for the first time in days, he was not thinking of the visions he had been having. Something was tuggin at him, something from deep within himself. This was the reason he had come here. This, was the reason he had journeyed so far. Why, he did not know, but something inside of him verified the uncovered truth. Something inside, told him that this was where he needed to be. Just inside the cave, he saw him. The hooded figure turned away from him, looking deeper into the cave of which he occupied. Who was this man? How could he have gotten here? Yinchorr was blockaded to all non-Imperial personnel. Even then, only the Imperial Royal Guard, and their hopeful trainees ever really came here. As Deft slowly enterred, time no longer existed. Space but a fleeting human assumption of distance. Everything, always, was right here. Such power, such depth, Deft had never felt before. â€Å"What is this place?†, he spoke out to the hooded figure. Anticipating to startle the man, his responce was far different than what he would have anticipated. â€Å"This my young friend, is your future†¦. and your past.†, the eerily familiar voice stated. The figure stood silent, gazing off into the distance as he approached. Then, as his footsteps brought him ever-closer, the man finally turned. The Emperor's visage, torn, weathered. Deft had never seen him like this before. â€Å"Deft, now you shall see.† There was no possible explanation for this. Deft knew it to be implausible for the Emperor to be here, and yet, here he was. Was he hallucinating? What manner of trickery was this? He turned to glance back at the entryway, but it was no longer there. Everything went foggy for a moment. His mind, his thoughts, even what he was seeing. When his eyes returned to where the Emperor had been standing, they did not meet his, they met†¦. theirs. Before Deft stood the four women he had ever truly loved. Yvaine, Lelu, Nydari and Rosalyn. In unison, they looked to him with pleading eyes and said, â€Å"You have abandoned us Deft†¦. why?† â€Å"You were the only man I ever loved, and you left me in your pursuit of power.†, Yvaine looked at him, her slave collar still attached, her subtle blonde braids gently caressing her tender neck where the collar had caused bruising. â€Å"Without you, I couldn't go on.†, her voice callously stated as she slapped him. â€Å"You never understood Deft, you never listened.†, Lelu said, her soft black hair blowing gently in the growing angry breeze, â€Å"I left you, because you had no time for me.† Nydari's gaze met his now, her cold callous blue eyes cutting through his soul. Deft heard not her words, he could feel what beat in her heart. He had taken her son, and for that, he could never be forgiven. â€Å"Deft, you never came for me.†, her eyes begged for a reason, â€Å"You gave up so easily, so much for love I guess.† â€Å"You left me to die on Dathomir.†, Rosalyn's words made little sense, â€Å"You allowed the Nighsisters to have their way with me.† Her inviting red hair still bore the subtle trace of a helmet. Deft could not help but wonder, was he able to speak with them now†¦. because they were all dead? He dropped to his knees, sobbing, the situation too much for even him, to handle. The incessant yelling stopped, all was quiet. Deft took control of himself once again, regaining his composure. Slowly, he raised his head to see the horrid depiction. All four of them†¦. lie dead before him. Their bodies broken, twisted lumps of flesh that once held a vibrance for life he fed off of. Now, empty vessels. The Emperor once again stepped forward. â€Å"What manner of treachery is this?†, Deft implored, â€Å"They cannot be dead.† â€Å"There is no treachery here, only truths within yourself.†, the Emperor explained, â€Å"What you see, is a mirror of what lies deep within you.† Deft knelt before the four corpses, and then, they came. From the shadows they stepped, each armed differently, each, having a different reason for being there. Those reasons, were the women lying before him. Percy, the insecure boy, placed a gentle hand on Yvaine's head, brushing her flowing blonde braids away from her green eyes. Then, turning his angry, jealous gaze to Deft, he unsheathed his blade. Noldat stood over Lelu Orion, his eyes never waivering from Deft's, this had been a long time coming. His pistol unholstered, and prepared to slay his sworn enemy. Wraidth shed a gentle tear as he touched Nydari's soft blue lekku one last time, unsheathing his sword, he snarled at him. â€Å"I would have cared for her as you never could.† Finally, Boden. Deft stood mildly perplexed at the sight, as Boden's eyes filled with rage and tears stared callously at him over Rosalyn's torn body. No words were spoken, but Deft did not need to hear them, he knew why Boden was there. However, was this a depiction of the truth†¦. or a vision of his own paranoia manifesting itself? In unison, their voices echoed through the cave, â€Å"We loved them as you could not. We cared for them, where you would not. In return for this, you destroyed them in your own lustful search for power.† Deft had no words. No charming way of explaining away the mishaps of his life. No intelligent responce to dissuade the anger and hatred in the room. He allowed his anguish to take hold. His saber ignited, the crimson hue echoing off of the walls, the color only amplified the tension. The hum of the weapon, requesting bloodshed. Percy was the first to charge, and the first to drop. With a gentle flick of the wrist, Deft tore through the young man's weapon, and his flesh. His now lifeless body, fell ironically parallel to that of Yvaine's. Noldat opened fire, and Deft's saber found the blaster bolts of it's own accord, deflecting them haplessly into the cavern's walls. His rage focused inward for a fleeting moment, and manifested itself in a bolt of lightning, sending Noldat to the ground in a lump of mangled and burned Rebel flesh. Wraidth did not hesitate, his scythe had cut Deft before he even had a chance to focus his attentions on his assailant. Blood dripping from his left shoulder, the open wound stinging with agonizing pain, Deft did not cringe, but found new purpose in it, new, unadulterated fury with which to wield his lightsaber. For his treachery, Deft cut him down to size, removing the better part of both his legs, just above the knee. As he lie there, helpless, Deft stepped forward to end his suffering. Wraidth's head made a gentle stop at Boden's feet. Both men stared at each other cautiously. Boden's indigo blue saber reverberating off of the walls, creating a purple hue as it mixed elegantly with the crimson of Defts that had already resided there. *CRACKLE HISS* Their blades met for the first time, held against each other, the sounds became almost deafening as they sparked and slid along one another. Deft arrogantly spun with his blade, driving Boden backward. With a kick, Deft pushed him even farther back as the green bolt erupted from his off hand. â€Å"Show me the truth.†, Deft asked of Boden's mind as he invaded it aggressively. The trick he had learned from the Nightsisters might just prove useful. Boden dropped to the ground, clutching at his head in agony. Yet still, Deft felt no battle, no conflict for the right to attain the knowledge he sought. Now Deft knew, this was not real. With a cold, calculated slice, Boden was no more. A soft voice invaded the newly created silence, â€Å"Deriun?† â€Å"Deriun, is that you?†, the voice called to him. After all these years, her soft voice still sent chills down his spine. He turned to face her. â€Å"I no longer go by that name†¦. mother.†, his cold callous stare met hers. Still adorned with rags, and carrying several collars in her hand, she snarled at him, â€Å"Nonsense, now get your things, we have to pick up some more goods this afternoon.† ‘Goods' was her more humane term for slaves. The idea that anyone could try and tone down what slavery was with simple verbage still sickened Deft. A swift backhand caught Deft off guard, his head cocked to one side partly, stopping midway as if to declare resistance. â€Å"You heard your mother boy, get ready.†, his father said angrily to him. As he stood there, looking at his parentage, something inside him snapped. It was all so much clearer. It all made sense. These people, they were nothing but pawns in a much larger game†¦ a game, Deft now played. A game of power. They were little more than cattle, to be done with as he saw fit. Wraidth's scythe hovered in mid air, both his parents stood there, confused at it's sight. â€Å"So boy, you think you've finally become a man? You think you're going to use that blade to kill us?†, his father nervously taunted, trying to play on Deft's insecurities. Insecurities that died long, long ago. â€Å"No father, I have no intentions of such.†, a cold grin formed on Deft's face as he called on the strength of the force, â€Å"She is going to kill you.† The blade hung still in the air before his mother, â€Å"Take the blade woman, and dispatch him.†, Deft said coldly with a slight hint of triumph in his voice. Her confused and shaking hand took hold of the hilt, she hesitated as she drew it back, â€Å"Let go your rage, allow the blade to find it's way.† â€Å"This is ridiculous.†, his fathers fearful expression made it quite apparent that he did indeed realize that this was no jest, â€Å"Woman, put that damn thing down and go get the slaves cleaned up.† â€Å"Now.†, Deft uttered but one word to reinforce his statements, his hand barely moving to send his message clearly, reinforced by the dark side within him. The blade moved swiftly, cleanly. From his shoulder to his nether regions, it made it's cut. A gentle red mist hung in the air, spackling her torn dress of rags. She dropped to her knees in front of her now lifeless spouse. The blade hit the ground, the sound of the metallic clang echoed through her soul as she realized what she had just done. Tear filled eyes looked to him, â€Å"Why Deriun? Why would you make me do this?† â€Å"Because I can.†, he said simply. The scythe flew true, of it's own volition, through her, pinning her ten feet in the air against the wall. Her last breath escaped, the gentle death rattle the only sound now heard in the cave, quickly replaced by the sound of her blood dripping on the floor. A cackle broke out from behind him as he callously stared at his now dead mother. â€Å"Good†¦. good.†, the voice with satisfaction, â€Å"You have done well, Lord Aklin.† He turned to face the voice, and again met eyes with the Emperor, his sinister grin filling the room with a cold warmth. â€Å"I do not understand, how can this be?†, his confusion showing on his face imploringly, â€Å"What is this place?† â€Å"This place is a mirror of your own inner self my friend.†, the Emperor placed a hand at Deft's back, walking with him casually, â€Å"It is a nexus for the Dark Side which all Jedi must at some point face.† â€Å"So this is a test?†, Deft's question had already been answered in his own mind, he needed his answer to be validated however. â€Å"You could say that. I prefer to look at it as a decision rather than a test.†, the Emperor chuckled. â€Å"I see.†, Deft turned to face the Emperor again, â€Å"I came here, I thought, to find answers.† â€Å"My boy, I am not here to give you the answers you seek.†, he coldly stared at him, â€Å"I think you already have those answers within yourself.† Deft had so many questions to still be answered, â€Å"And how is it you are here?. The Emperor smirked at him, â€Å"I am not here.† With that, the Emperor vanished, and Deft found himself standing again in the entryway of the cave. It was not long after that Deft found himself sitting at the foot of his Oppressor contemplating his existence. What was all of this for? What lessons were to be learned? Why was he doing all of this? For the Emperor? For himself? Where had it gotten him? The Emperor had always promised him, one day he would understand, but perhaps, even the Emperor, could not foresee what was to come. *beep beep* His subspace com erupted with authority. Deft could sense it. â€Å"Yes my Lord?†, he said, knowing exactly who it was. â€Å"I sense you have done well Lord Aklin.†, the cold feeling of triumph was apparent, â€Å"Now†¦. you understand.† â€Å"Yes†¦.. I do.†, he replied, his tone uncaring, indifferent. A short hesitation hung in the air before he proceeded, cutting the Emperor off as he begun to speak, â€Å"I understand that I have grown tired of your meddling old man. And perhaps†¦. a change is indeed needed.† The Emperor's sudden rage could be heard as Deft simply deactivated his com and boarded his ship. Activating the radio aboard The Subterfuge, he quickly contacted Tovina, â€Å"My dear, I think we need to have a little discussion.† Deft knew now what he sought, and being subservient to Palpatine was no longer fitting for him†¦ he was better than that†¦ stronger. The time had come for Deft to take what was his†¦. by force. For the Emperor had indeed twisted him to the Dark Side as intended, though, perhaps he twisted a bit too hard. Perhaps†¦. now it was Deft's turn, to twist back.

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Strategic management - Essay Example After enumerating the internal and external business affairs of Lego, the essay emphasizes the drawbacks of the company and finds ways through which it may overcome its negativities. 1. Which stage of the industry life cycle is the Toy industry in? How has that affected Lego’s ability to gain market share? This is the period of globalization and liberalization when almost all the industries in the market are booming. International trade is at its zenith, when most of the business firms are enjoying the benefits of the growing market. Consumerism has become the catchphrase of the world economy in 21st century. Income levels of the developed economies are augmenting and the developing economies are emerging with high growth rates. At this stage per capita income levels of almost all the open economies in the world are improving. With the improvements in standard of living, the aggregate demand for luxuries and comforts has enhanced. Life cycle models are not only common to the l iving beings but also associate with industries. Even an industry begins, grows, becomes mature and finally collapse with time. This is not because an industry has life but because an industry’s existence depends on the consumers whose taste and preference changes with time. The toy industry is at its peak of life cycle, where more than thousand companies operate in the industry with high turnovers and revenues. In United States the industry generates high revenue of about $20 billion (Little & King Co., 2010). Top popular toy companies are Lego, Mattle, Hasbro etc. A big segment of the industry comprises of the game making companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. This industry manufactures a wide variety of toys like non-electric toys, children vehicles, preschool toys, stuffed animals, art & crafts, dolls etc. Toys are not only sources of entertainment for the children but also serve as basic academic tools to develop memory skills in them. Lego is a popular toy manufac turing company in Denmark, the headquarters of the company is in Billund. The company mainly engages in the manufacture of construction toys. The Lego bricks are generally colourful and can be used to make various types of toy cars or buildings. The growth of the toy industry has generated several positive externalities for Lego. The Lego group has exhibited unremitting growth since the last few years and the rates of growth have always been in double digits. The world’s best market for Lego bricks is U.S. Lego toys are marketed in more than 130 countries in the world. The company has a club of its loyal customers that comprises almost 4.2 million members. Today it can be hypothesized that on an average each individual in earth has approximately 80 Lego bricks to play with. Over the years more than 600 billion Lego elements have been manufactured (Lego, 2012). Figure 1: Lego House (Source: Lego, 2012) Producing bright and colourful bricks as toys, Lego have introduced a revol utionary change in the world of toys, where children may explore their creativity. The main driving force of the company is to encourage creative opportunities for all children.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our idea is to create a toy that prepares the child for life, appeals to the imagination and develops the creative urge and joy of creation that are the driving force in every human being†. The demand for Lego toys is increasing with time; accordingly the quantity of toy manufactured is also increasing. Figure 2: Experience

My Management Philosophy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Management Philosophy - Term Paper Example In this paper, I will analyze my management philosophy and how it has been influenced by my skills, experience, and knowledge of other theories. The first philosophy that I consider significant is the principle of efficient planning. Managers may accomplish very little or no realizations at all if they fail to plan. This is because the lack of a plan means that a person may do anything at anytime. Planning begins with the determination of desired goals because they guide managers in choosing strategies that help them realize these objectives (Covey, 2013). After determining the desirable aims, managers then carry out research to help them choose the best approaches to realize them; the investigation may be carried out through extensive reading to find out how other organizations perform their tasks or it may be through testing and analyzing of past experiences. The next step after choosing the strategy to apply is implementation that involves putting the strategies into practice to achieve the goals. Evaluation then helps leaders to determine the goals that they have achieved and those that they have failed to accomplish so that they may develop techniques of improving the results. My experience as a human resource manager has made me to value this philosophy because whenever the department fails to plan, it ends up achieving results that are below its capacity. Also the fact that human resource division deals with recruitment means that the department has to plan to determine the type of employees to hire and those that need to be fired (Drucker, 2008). The second philosophy is that efficient communication is vital for the success of managers in their career and also for organizations that aim at realizing high sales and returns (Drucker, 2008). Communication involves exchanging information with other managers, employees, and subordinate staff members. Charismatic leadership style advocates for both verbal and non-verbal communication. This

SUmmaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SUmmaries - Essay Example He used to spend his time playing hockey and posting on social media and some of the people who know him have described him as a shy and person who minds his own business. The boy who has been charged with several counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault as well as possession of a weapon in the campus premises. There have been mixed reactions about this case with some of people stating that the suspect should be tried in a juvenile court and others preferring that he should be subjected to a mental examination first. However, his trial in a juvenile court can only take place if he is considered cooperative to treatment in the court. Regardless of the gravity of the matter as well as the age of the suspect, the issue that motivated Alex to go on the rampage and stab fellow students is yet to be identified for the case to be understood fully. After an Illinois father received a call that his son had committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest, a note left by the son was discovered blaming bullying for the suicide. Even though the death of his son was difficult for him, Jordan Lewis decided to post video on Facebook the night that his son died explaining the circumstances of his son’s death as well as the events that led up to the occurrence. This included the apparent bullying, concerns from some of his friends, visits by the police as well as the emergency call the son had made prior to his death (Hamilton, 2013). According to Jordan Lewis, he is posting the videos so that he can stop bullying through showing that some people are not strong enough to overcome the humiliation that is associated with bullying. The bullying that his son had faced had been so much that he dropped out of the football team. Based on research by the Yale university children who are subjected to bullying have a higher likelihood o f committing suicide. There are high chances that Lewis’ son developed a sense of hopelessness and the bullying

Principal Powers available to the courts in England & Wales Essay

Principal Powers available to the courts in England & Wales - Essay Example The local courts were manned over by one of the lord’s stewards or the lord himself. The Curia Regis, which is the King’s court, was presided by the king himself. It is not a comfortable experience to go on trial in a Welsh and English courts. This is better than the ordeal trial, which was used until the end of 12th century in determining innocence or guilt in criminal cases. Under the system of ordeal, the accused were forced to pick up a red-hot iron, to remove a stone from a cauldron of boiling water, and any other punishment, which is equally painful and dangerous. After this punishment, if the hand begins to heal in three days he is considered having God in his/her side and thereby proving that he/she is innocent. The number of recorded verdicts in this system is not known to anyone. Another popular and extreme sense of ordeal system is water where one ties an individual and throws into the water body. If he/she sinks, it shows that he/she is innocent. In 1406, th e judicial view expressed that the King has transferred all his powers to the courts. The English civil war of 1642-51 was fought between the rights of the King and the rights of the parliament. The parliament won the battle, and it became the supreme legal authority in the country. This supremacy of the parliament is a cornerstone of the constitution. This meant that legally, parliament could pass any law it wishes though there are some limitations to this power. The high court of justice is an amalgamation between the court of chancery and existing courts of common law. Because United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, justice is administered in the name of the crown (Riches & Allen, 2011, p.152). There is a judicial system where the high court ensures that governments, lower courts and public bodies are operating within the law. Judicial review is only interested with the legality of decision-making and not concerned with the merits of the decision. Some courts have appellate jurisdiction. This means that they decide their appeals from courts, which are below them in their hierarchy of courts. This is the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom, which replaced appellate committee in the House of Lords. The high court and the court of appeal are among those, which are below in the hierarchy. The court of appeal has criminal and civil division. The crown court is mandated to hear certain appeals, which are from the magistrate’s courts (Probert 2011). There is a distanced system of criminal courts. These are the magistrates’ courts and the crown courts of Wales and England. The crown courts are dated back from courts act of 1971, which replaced and abolished various courts including Quarter and Assizes sessions and many other local courts like the court of Chancery. Tribunals deal with many specialist matters though there might be some appeals to the high court or a higher tribunal. Tribunal courts and enforcement Act of 2007 has changed tribunal structure through radical reforms. Non-lawyers are used significantly in the system; they include Magistrates, tribunal members, and Jurors. The speech of Abdroikof 2007 emphasized the importance of the jury. In certain situations, there is a provision of the Criminal Justice of 2003 Act for non-jury trials (Grubin 1996). In most tribunals and courts, the

Enterprise Resource Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Enterprise Resource Planning - Research Paper Example According to "The Conference Board" despite the expenditure of millions of dollars and the work of numerous staff people, 60% of ERP projects fail to deliver the results expected of them. This means that 6 out of 10 ERP projects are either not on time, and/or budget, and/or don't deliver the value expected from them a year or more after launch. Additionally, the study found that, in most cases, implementation costs are 25% over budget. (Dudley Cooke, 2001) This paper will review the most frequent problems encountered, recommend strategies to overcome these obstacles and evaluate the potential to implement ERP systems in organizations. Criteria used to evaluate the effectiveness of ERP systems include benefits, functional requirements, hardware requirements, risks associated with implementing an ERP system, and cost. We have seen the industry statistics and know there are issues as well, now the pertinent question is to ask: what are the main causes of ERP failure and what can be done to prevent this from happening The implementation of an ERP project requires the acceptance, compliance, and commitment of a wide range of people: 'Implementing any integrated ERP solution is not so much a technological exercise but an "organizational revolution". Extensive preparation before implementation is the key to success' (Bingi, Sharma et al., 1999). Many experts such as King (1997) regard the need to secure a commitment to a course of action as possibly a more important issue than the determination of the most appropriate evaluation technique. The point here is that achieving positive attitudes and behaviors (especially those of the top management) directed towards a certain outcome may provide benefits that exceed those that can be attained from pushing for the optimum levels of choice. The tendency of top management to delegate the supervision of an ERP implementation to lower management levels usually results in being out of touch with critical events, or the lack of understanding of the scope, size, and technical aspects of the project, and subsequently, the proper commitment of time and resources required for a successful implementation. The result is a failure in the waiting. Involvement of the lower cadre is good but should not be at the expense of the top management being ignorant. Despite the fact that over 90% of companies that have installed ERP admit that they did not do enough to manage organizational turmoil (resulting from the implementation of ERP), most do not even have a clue as to how to minimize organizational distress nor to make it all seem worthwhile (Dudley Cooke, 2001). In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the top management to take charge and manage the change.  

Characteristics of science journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Characteristics of science journalism - Essay Example For example, the goal of one east coast company is to capture the market for human infant formula by trying to produce transgenic cattle whose milk contains an important protein found in human breast milk. While pharmaceutical companies are exploring transgenic technology for commercial purposes, animal science researchers at U.C., Davis, are focused on developing the technology to advance the dairy industry. Specifically, we are investigating whether foreign genes inserted into dairy cattle can change the manufacturing or nutritional properties of milk. We have succeeded in demonstration with transgenic mice that foreign genes can be expressed by the mammary gland to modify milk components. However, we have met the same obstacles as industrial scientists in trying to produce similar results in transgenic cattle. It appears that what we need is a significant breakthrough to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of aiming transgenic cattle. Cloning by nuclear transfer is another method of genetic engineering still in experimental stages. Despite all the media reports, the purpose behind experiments leading to the creation of "Dolly", the sheep made famous through cloning, was not to make multiple copies of a single animal. Rather, researchers were interested in finding cell types that could be used to generate a normal animal after transfer of a cell's nucleus into a recently ovulated egg, a process known as nuclear transfer. The ultimate goal of this cloning research is to produce animals from cells that have been genetically modified in the laboratory, or in other words, to produce transgenic animals from transgenic cells. The advantage of this approach is that cultured... Science journalism tends to be mostly practiced by the people who majored in humanities rather than in science. We can also concede that when science writing is done by people with actual science background, it offer it because the writers would really prefer to be doing science rather than journalism. People want things to be in simple and plain English. But this demand is unrealistic because science writing is dumbed down as much as it can. the one major fact behind this is that language is built upon the hierarchy of concepts, scientific or technical concepts correspond to specialized technical terms, terms of art, and the like(the jargon).Human attitudes are turned with the use of language in the articles. The more simple and correct is the language the more are the readers attracted. When we look at the metaphor in science we can say that it is very interesting to read of the increasing interest that is being generated around metaphors in science. It actually impossible in terms of formulating any easy understanding of the natural world without metaphors in some way or another. in the biological world, metaphors have a further complication in that they frequently become teleologies as well. a teleology is nothing but an explanation that accords purpose to some attribute. So, the eye is designed to be some sort of video camera; the immune system is designed to defend the body against foreign organisms; hair is designed to insulate the body; feathers are designed to help a bird fly.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 49

Personal Statement Example During the long labor hours, I occasionally walked out of the room pacing with anticipation and fear. My elder sister had travelled to my grandmother’s place the previous day away from all the chaos. My parents thought that I was adequately ready to witness the birth of my first cousin. My whole body froze as the screams of joy filled the entire room; a baby boy had been born. It was my very first experience of midwifery and obstetrics, one of the most memorable life experiences. Later on, my older sister and my nephew joined the family. Being in a home with three women instilled a sense of empathy and enhanced my interpersonal skills that would be vital later in the field of nursing and midwifery. Since I was ten years, I have been exposed to a range of women health issues especially those involving maternal care. Such exposure has helped grow my desire to pursue a course in nursing and midwifery in the best university. Primarily, my ambitions and desires were driven by my first hand experience of childbirth at a young age. As I grew I had many opportunities to educate my peers on women health issues; with time it grew to a strong desire to be in a scenario where learning and teaching was rife. We lived with the extended family under one roof; each family member had a different point of view on politics and religion. I enjoyed cooking and performing other house chores collaboratively with my cousins thus, this adapted me to become a team player. Growing up in such an environment helped nurture my interpersonal skills and other traits vital to succeed as a professional midwife. Nursing and midwifery is a humbling and emotionally challenging specialty. A number of events in my life have infused a variety of qualities to overcome the challenges. Self-motivation, inquisitiveness, and time management have driven my academic accomplishments. After high school, I worked with various charity organizations providing free medical care to women immigrants. During

Australian Aboriginal Art Essay Example for Free

Australian Aboriginal Art Essay Australian Aboriginal art, song and dance has been the corner stone of culture since the beginning of their existence. Having no form of written language Aboriginal art, songs, and dances passed down through the generations have been the heartbeat that has kept this ancient culture alive. Even though the art, medium, song, and dance of each Aboriginal tribe may be completely different, they all serve the same purposes; create ceremony, and to inform each member of the tribe of their history, spiritual beliefs, values, and expectations for cultural norm and behaviour. It is not until recently that Aboriginal art has stopped depicting Dreaming stories and has begun to be used for other purposes, such as self expression and emotion release (Pizzi, 13). However as the customary Aboriginal ways of life have been continually interrupted and battered, the personal identity of Aboriginal people and their culture has deteriorated and is in great danger of dying out completely. For tens of thousands of years Aboriginals have created art on rocks, tree bark, the ground and their bodies, with dyes, paints, seeds, plants, sand, and ochres. It is these art works which create a visual language expressing the legends, morals, and history specific to each Aboriginal tribe (Kreczmansk and Stanislawska-Birnberg, 3). Each painting or drawing contains symbols and colours which represent a part of a Dreaming story. Generally the symbols similar to what they are representing, but can come to mean different things at different times, such as a spiral could represent a waterhole, campsite, breast, or fire depending on the context. Aboriginal art is an integral physical manifestation of their culture and cultural continuity is reflected in all forms; such as painting, drawing, ceremonies, song, dance, jewellery, and head masks (Barrington, April 12). On page one of ‘The Tjulkurra’, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, Janusz B. Kreczmanski and Margo Stanislawska-Birnberg write, â€Å"there is one kind of traditional painting which has not changed for thousands of years in its form and subject matter: the art of the Australian Aborigines. † The Aboriginal Dreaming stories are central to culture and each aspect of the Dreaming wheel is connected, and without one of the parts the wheel the rest does not make sense. These stories dictate every aspect of life and behaviour from where you can walk to how the Earth was created. These Dreaming stories are the blue prints to Aboriginal life, and it is through art, song, and dance that they survive. Each art drawing, painting, dance refers to a piece of information which the viewer gains upon looking at it, every song steers the listeners towards proper social behaviour or indicates where in society one falls (Morphy, 30). Some rituals, drawing and painting mediums and depictions, songs, and dances are gender or age discriminate, further structuring societal responsibilities and purposes (Mayrah, April 20). These Aboriginal art forms are the vehicles that pass meaning, purpose, history, and cultural from one generation to the next. Over the years Aboriginal way of life has been completely disrupted, abused, and deliberate attempts have been made to be erased. Since colonization Aboriginal people have been continually displaced from their lands, which they had lived on for over 40,000 years, and have had to watch as their sacred sites are cut down, mined, and destroyed. With this the materials used in Aboriginal art are destroyed, but more importantly there is a cultural disconnection as the elders are unable to teach the new generation the ways of their people and land. For example, when a tribe from the desert is suddenly moved to a coast their traditional sand art becomes impossible to create and the ceremonial act of passing that knowledge down to new generations cannot occur. So that art form is lost forever and the relationship between elders and the new generation breaks down. Or if a Dreaming story is based upon the lake which a tribe lives next to, and the tribe is moved away from this lake the new generations to come will not understand the story, or feel a connection with the land which was given to them by the Creation Beings. By taking away the tools the Aboriginals have always used to create their art and ceremonies their whole structure of culture is splintered. Tourism and the intrusions of western culture on Aboriginal land have weakened and belittled the art of the Aboriginals and traditional art forms have vanished in many places (Edwards and Guerin, Foreword). Furthermore, as â€Å"The Land My Mother, Walya NGamardiki† video the class watched on March 18th explains, the Aboriginals believe that they belong to the land, and if the land is destroyed then they too are being destroyed. In Aboriginal culture each person and family is born and connected to a Totem, or Spirit Being, and it is that person’s responsibility to protect their Totem; they are thought to be so connected that if one was to eat their Spirit Being it would be considered cannibalism. If a person’s Totem is killed then it is that person’s responsibility to carry out the mortuary rites for the being. When an Aboriginal dies they believe that their spirits go into the sites from which they came, but by destroying these sanctified sites the spirits have no where to return (Mayrah, April 20). â€Å"For Indigenous Australians†¦country is the subject of artistic representation, ritual enactment, totemism and the sympathetic magic that assists the group to ensure itself in the quest for survival† (Zimmer, 20). A disconnection between an Aboriginal person and his land is more than an unjust inconvenience; it is a cultural, emotional and spiritual murder worse than physical death. The Aboriginals currently make up only two percent of the Australian population, and their art, songs, and dances have been lost to the new generations. The ceremonies, art, dance, and song that had always guided, moralized, and given a voice to the Aboriginal youth has been made unnecessary, unfeasible, or irrelevant over time. These youths are now connecting with the anger, violence and messages of resentment of the contemporary black American culture. Instead of singing the songs and dancing the dances of their ancestors many young Aboriginals are rapping and grinding. (Dean, April 8). Many Aboriginals, old and young, feel no real tribal identity or language, no connection with Dreaming, and are left confused by who they are in the middle of two conflicting cultures (Bourke, 133). Without their art, song, and dance the Aboriginal culture has no history, meaning, future, or heartbeat. It is imperative to the future of Aboriginal tribes that they reconnect with the wisdom and ceremony of their ancestor’s art, song, and dance, while continuing to gain the tools to function in today’s westernized Australian culture. Bibliography Barrington, Robin. â€Å"Indigenous Australian Aboriginal Art. † Presentation, Introduction to Indigenous Australia tutorial, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley campus. April 12, 2010. Bourke, Eleanor. On Being Aboriginal. In Identifying Australia in Postmodern Times. Melbourne: Bibliotech, Australian National University, 1994. â€Å"Ways of Working: Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Modules. † Workshop, Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University of Technology, Bentley campus. April 8, 2010. Edwards, Robert and Bruce Guern. Aboriginal Bark Paintings. Canberra: Rigby, 1970. Kreczmanski, Janusz B. , and Margo Stanislawska-Birnberg. The Tjulkurra: Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri. Marleston: Jb Books, 2002. 1-7. Mayrah, Yarraga. Aboriginal Culture. Indigenous Australia Aboriginal Art, History and Culture. http://www.indigenousaustralia. info (accessed April 20, 2010). McGregor, Ken and Jenny Zimmer. Bill Whiskey Tajapaltjarri. Victoria: Macmillian Art Publishing, 2009. 15-23. Morphy, Howard. Ancestral Connections: Art and an Aboriginal System of Knowledge. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1991. Pizzi, Gabrielee. Voices of The Earth: Paintings, Photography, and Sculpture from Aboriginal Australia. Melbourne: A private collection. 7-16. ‘The Land My Mother’ or ‘Walya NGamardiki. ’ Movie, Introduction to Indigenous Australia tutorial, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley campus. March 8th, 2010.

Protection And How To Control Noise Pollution Environmental Studies Essay

Protection And How To Control Noise Pollution Environmental Studies Essay Environmental pollutions constitute of three kinds :namely water, air and land ones. Noise pollution is included within the group of air pollution. In modern time like present time mankind expose to a lot of noise pollution which to some extend is dangerous to health- psychologically as well as physiologically. This paper tries to summarize the faqs, limit values and mitigation of noise problem One may find discrepancy within the writing but worth discussing Part I Introduction The problem of noise pollution of the most important problems of crowded cities, especially cities, the industrial ones, and is undoubtedly a consequence of the progress of civilization and that adversely affect human health, especially the sense of hearing, Valdaudhae loud and continuous lead to the loss of the temporary and sometimes permanent hearing loss, also affect the nervous system and cause neurological and tensions may lead to mental breakdown. And may cause reactions is balanced, such as straying mental, and reduce ability to concentrate, and is also caused high blood pressure, and excretion of excess of certain glands, which causes high blood sugar in the blood and stomach ulcers and headaches, feeling tired and insomnia. And according to some studies carried out by Austrian scientists to the human life detracts from 8 to 10 years in large cities compared with rural population becauseof noise pollution. Studies have shown that blood pressure in school children located near the airport in Los Angeles higher than for school children away from the airport and their speed in solving mathematical problems less, and when the failure to resolve the matter quickly Ermoha aside and not try to re-solved, and according to the results In some studies, published in England, one out of every four men and one out of every three women suffering from neurological diseases caused by noise,,, and complain that 16 million workers in the United States of noise in the factories where they work, and estimated the damage being inflicted workers and lead to absence from work whom have 4 billion dollars annually. Questionnaire Results 1) Your eyes from the face of the most dangerous to human health a. Noise pollution b. Air pollution 2) What is the unit of measurement noise? a. Microbar b. DB c. Pitch 3) Hinder the noise thinking in a peaceful way, and cause many problems, including excess nerve in dealing with others and narrow rapid Ocean a. strongly agree b. agree c. neutral d. disagree e. Strongly disagree 4) Noise in general is responsible for 50% of mistakes in the business of mechanical and 20% of fatal accidents and wasting 20% of working days a.strongly agree b.agree c.neutral d.disagree e.Strongly disagree Part II v The Definition of Noise Are those sounds that are not in line to hear the man and not went flat it, then it sounds ragged irregular, does not lead in their entirety to the meaning of a clear contrast to the melodies of music which is warmly her rights, as well as it sounds with high frequency and lead to vibration of the eardrum strongly. And sound interested in the first meaning of physiology, because our understanding of the sound depends on the ability of our nervous system to receive him and his analysis and there are voices we can not hear, and on the second physicist and is intended to those waves that we know it sound regardless of the existence of a future or non-existence. And the human ear can understand the sounds ranging from 17 to 2000 pulse per second, and in nature there are fewer votes and the highest of these frequencies and know Balfoq and sound underneath. And there is a set of actions can be taken to control noise pollution such as urban planning while maintaining a cover, the green because the trees absorb a large proportion of the votes in addition to be a street widening to ease congestion and outputs of the noise and others, can also improve the technical condition of the devices that give off noise. Types of Noise Pollution 1. Noise and transportation. 2. Noise and music clips and songs and other media products. 3. Noise comments on the events and matches 4.Road noise and the streets are come mainly from cars, buses, vans and motorcycles as well as the assignee of the cassettes and transportation, all of these methods cause noise in different ways. 5.Noise rail (trains) do not get upset a lot of people, noise emitted from the cars as much alarmed by the noise the trains due to be considered a means of transport useful but indispensable to move within the city in some cities in the world This is the best way because it is fast but the most important disadvantages of the train he was the source of Voice of the higher 6.Aircraft noise (air noise) even though the aircraft has become less disturbing than it was before .. However, tariff escalation and the increasing number of airports to accommodate the number of aircraft .. Leads to the survival of noise, and considered the problem of aircraft noise disturbs people living near airports 7.Social noise is often the cause of this noise: 1 Noise Factory 2 home-based activities. 3 assignee electrical appliances and homes. 4 sounds of screaming people. 5 auto repair. Engineers may use certain materials in the walls to isolate these sounds and mitigation, but these materials are expensive. Industrial noise (noise factory) and have come from factories or places of work which affect the workers in these places, as well as the general public. Although other types of noise considered harmful but that this noise is most serious at all. 8.The noise of water sound of the waves can be a nuisance, or a sound ship engines, and there are other creatures affected by these sounds and you hear from a distance, such as the whale The Adverse Effects of Noise Damage in the ear and hearing loss: It is well known that the ear downsample the sound waves into electrical signals or nerve to the brain, transformation .. Ear and are usually the result of damage to the recurrence of disturbing to hear the voices and consistently high, thus affecting the nervous system is affected when certain frequencies .. And it begins in the weak sense of hearing gradually eventually lead to lost completely. It is noted that with the aging of those who keep account of persons who are exposed to normal noise, and they occur gradually in the sense of hearing, has a high degree in old age. And are summarized in the following factors which affect the sense of hearing due to noise: The noise level (in decibels) as well as reluctance. The type of noise. A period of daily exposure .. The length of the work in the year. The continuity of the Year. The change after the noise of a person without the other. Capacity of the place and the concentration of noise in it. The nature of the place . The timing of the noise (at night or during the day): For example .. May be the phone ringing during sleep in the very inconvenience, while acceptable in some way during the day. Psychological effects : Nervous tension and anxiety. Headaches and head pain. Loss of appetite. The focus in particular in the mind. Inability to deal with others. Absence from work and frequent absences. (This leads to substantial economic loss) Physiological effects : Increase the secretion of the pituitary gland. Increase the bodys sensitivity to the hormone adrenaline. Effect on the hearing and other physiological changes, including: increased loss of masculinity for men The weak response of individuals. Weak muscle activity. Involuntary movement in the eye with a change in the iris. Affecting the muscles and internal organs, due to inflammation of nerve cells. Protection and how to control noise pollution Growing interest in noise pollution, where there were many sources, and increased risks to humans, especially where he works on the defects of some members within the human body that requires preventive action such as: ongoing reform of the machines that are found in factories and this step could reduce the noise or be executed. strict control on industries and modify operations to control noise during the issuance and renewal of work permits. Issuing the necessary legislation and applied firmly to prevent the use of car alarms and control of their engines and stop the exporting of high voices. plants are the most important ways to absorb the noise, especially impulsive noise. The high Zraapalocjar help in reducing noise in cities and towns. prevent the use of microphones and recording devices in the citys streets, cafes and department stores, 6 to raise awareness through various media statement on the dangers of this pollution on human health so that one realizes that the acoustic space is not the property personally. excluding schools and hospitals for sources of noise. excluding airports, cities and populated areas a minimum distance of 30 km. must be rail lines and highways away from residential areas as much as possible Increased number of national parks because it has a psychological impact on the excellent help calm the nerves. the use of ear plugs in areas where there is noise.

For The Love Of The Fish An Es :: essays research papers

In the short story “The Third Thing That Killed My Father,'; Raymond Carver explores the life of the town outcast. Through the observations of a young boy and his father Carver tells the story of a man caught in himself, and captures the true essence of a mans character and his conflicts. Dummy the town outcast finds himself in a struggle to protect the one thing that makes him happy, a school of black bass. Carver comes up with three major conflicts, which include man verses society, nature, and himself. When Dummy gets his fish he further distanced himself from the community. He has always been made fun of by coworkers, and because he had no one to trust this gave Dummy a pretense for digging a deeper hole into his depression. "Well, it made them kid Dummy, the way he was always carrying everything. Carl Lowe, Ted Shade, Johnny Wait, they were the worst kidders of the ones that kidded Dummy.'; Another reasons for Dummy’s introversion was his wife. “ She was a women years younger and said to run around with Mexicans.'; The lack of love at home and negative attention at work caused Dummy to shut society out. The only friends Dummy had where his fish, which he protected from the cruelties of society. He protected the fish like no one had protected him, yet he still loses them to a force that cannot be controlled or stopped. “ It blew for five days, and on the third day the river began to rise. “She’s up to fifteen feet,'; my father said one evening looking over his newspaper. “Which is three feet over what you need to flood. Old Dummy is going to lose his darlings.'; Even though, Dummy protects his fish from unwanted fisherman he cannot protect them and himself from forces of greater power, the force of nature. Another one of the conflicts in the story is Dummy’s struggle with himself. Dummy was never really loved which persuaded him to find something else to love. The fish gave him a since of awareness and control that was never found at work and in his marriage. As long as he had the fish he was needed, and happy being apart of a community that never judged him. When Dummy lost this he lost his life, love, and sanity. “He’d changed a lot, Dummy had. He was never around any of the men anymore, not if he could help it.

Searching For Independence In Dubliners :: Essays Papers

Searching For Independence In Dubliners James Joyce is the author of Dubliners, a compilation of Irish short stories that reflect on the feelings he associates with the city of Dublin, where he grew up in a large impoverished family. After he graduated from the University College, Dublin, Joyce went to live abroad in Paris, France. This action indicates a sense of entrapment that led to his desire to escape. The situations in his stories differ significantly, but each character within these stories experiences this sense of escape that Joyce had. In â€Å"An Encounter†, two boys make their first real move at being independent by skipping school to explore Dublin. In â€Å"Eveline†, the main character has a choice between taking care of her unstable father or leaving him to lead a new life with a man she has been seeing. In Joyce’s story, â€Å"The Dead,† a young man is thrown into deep human assessment, becomes unsure of who he is, and soon after is frightened of this newly discovered truth. The stories in Dubliners implicate this need for independence through characters in different situations and experiencing the feeling of entrapment. â€Å"An Encounter,† takes a unique approach in describing the need for escape through the viewpoint of a young boy. The story is written in first-person giving the reader an advantage in knowing the thoughts of the narrator. The narrator and his friend, Mahony, desire independence from their ordinary lives at home. They have read several stories about the Wild West that cause them to think about exploring the world outside of the one they already know. An incident that happens in school triggers the boys to finally make plans to skip school to go explore downtown Dublin. This is the major independent action taken on the part of the main characters and another boy, Leo Dillon. Obviously, school has become predictable and playing in the backyard is no longer satisfactory. The narrator describes school as a, â€Å"restraining influence,† and he, â€Å"began to hunger again for wild sensations, for the escape which those chronicles of disorder (storybooks about the west) alone seemed to offer me† (12). Parts of the story begin to demonstrate how the journey the boys have embarked on have awakened their senses. In the middle of the story, Mahony states it would be fun to board one of the large boats along the river, and set off to lands that they had only heard about in school.

The Crucible - Comparing Play And Movie Essay -- arthur miller film Ni

Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, and the movie with the same name have many differences and similarities, all of which contribute to the individual effectiveness of each in conveying their central message. There are several additions and variances in the movie. First of all, the scene where the children and Tituba are dancing in the forest is never seen in the forest; we simply learn of it from dialogue. This scene was most probably added in the movie for a dramatic effect: foreshadowing. Along the same lines, there are many scenes included in the movie that are outdoors, however; there were no such scenes in the play. All of the action in the play was indoors. The director, in this case, was simply using the advantages of movie making. It is difficult to replicate an outdoors scene in a theatre. Also, some of the techniques used when filming outdoors create a symbolic message. A portion of the scenes before the beginning of the witchcraft trials is seen in a downpour of rain, possibly foreshadowing doom and dreariness to come. There were some scenes added or adapted in the movie as opposed to the play. First, the large group of "stricken" girls, which indeed had a greater number than did the group in the play, left the church meeting at the beginning of the movie to see about Betty's condition. Betty seemed to be much more violent in the movie and she tried to jump out of the window, which did not occur in the play. These details were most likely added to ...

Is Lady Macbeth More Ambitious Than Macbeth Essay

Lady Macbeth has more ambition than Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth has received the letter from her husband, Macbeth, telling her about the three witches’ prophecies and the future king Macbeth, she decides to make it come true immediately. Macbeth who is loyal man and unwilled at first, but unfortunately gets convinced by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is cold-blooded person as she thinks to regicide Duncan right after reading Macbeth’s letter. In the other hand, Macbeth is a brave soldier, a powerful man and also shows great loyalty. â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none,† meaning that it is the power to put responsibility before selfishness. It tells us that Macbeth is too generous to kill King Duncan without good enough reason. He is born loyal. However Lady Macbeth convinced Macbeth to commit a dark act. He became indecisive and confused which eventually lead him to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth would do anything to fulfil her ambition where Macbeth has ambition but he is indecisive and afraid of the consequence that will come after murder of Duncan. She is stubborn because she encourages Macbeth to regicide. When Macbeth backs out, refusing to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth for being a coward. She also says he is not a man if he doesn’t murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth assures him that they won’t fail if they have courage. Definitely this is not exactly true and never right. This shows Lady Macbeth is desperate to fulfil her needs. Macbeth is the one who kills King Duncan and he is the one who goes mad over his ambition. Macbeth is the one who decides to murder everyone who he thinks it will be a threat in the future. It is clearly not Macbeth’s fault that made him mad over power. The three witches are responsible as well but Lady Macbeth is the reason that made Macbeth chooses to decide Duncan and fulfil his needs. The fact that Macbeth was unwilling to murder King Duncan showed us that he has the ambition but knows what is right or wrong. He was brave, smart and showed real loyalty in the beginning of the act and at the end where he regrets all his actions. And later in the act, Macbeth wishes that Lady Macbeth was still alive so he could blame her for all the actions. Lady Macbeth’s ambition is almost opposite to Macbeth’s. She is the type of person who is willing to achieve anything to fulfil her ambition. Lady Macbeth is the one who made all situations possible and it shows us that Lady Macbeth clearly has more ambition than Macbeth.

Hot Cheetos

How flamin’ hot Cheetos affect the body The topic of my research project is â€Å"How Flamin’ Hot Cheetos affect the body†. There are many ways flamin’ hot Cheetos can affect your body. Basically my research explains ways that flamin’ hot Cheetos could possibly affect you, but not necessarily happen. Flamin’ hot Cheetos are categorized as any other junk food, but is said to be very addictive and can cause ulcers and inflammation in your body. Everyone loves flamin’ hot Cheetos right?But have we ever once stopped to wonder how Cheetos affect our body? Because children and teens have taken such a strong liking to the high-caloric snack, nutritionists and other health professionals are concerned about the unhealthy habit. One ounce of Flamin' Hot Cheetos — about 21 pieces — is about 160 calories, including 17 percent of the daily suggested serving for fat and 8 percent of serving for saturated fat. It also contains 250 mg â €” or 10 percent of the daily value — of sodium. That doesn't sound so bad.However, the snack often comes in bags that offer two or more serving sizes of Cheetos, which offer almost no dietary fiber or protein. The â€Å"new bigger size† bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos contains 3 3/4 oz. , or nearly 680 calories, 44 grams of fat, and 40 percent of days recommended sodium, according to the package nutritional label. Hot Cheetos are very spicy and stain your lips and fingers red. The spice increases stomach acidity, so children get stomach aches, sometimes so terrible they're doubled over in pain.Because the spicy snack contains a lot of red food dye, it can turn the stools of people who eat large amounts of Cheetos red or orange. So even though we might eat some foods with red food dye in them regularly, our stool doesn't usually become discolored unless you eat huge amounts of it. Flamin' Hot Cheetos is one food that people will eat enormous amounts of and will see a ch ange in their stool color. On top of the artificial coloring and flavoring, some experts say the Cheetosare â€Å"hyperpalatable,† meaning they’re highly addictive.Additionally, scientists, researchers, and nutritionists all fear that, because it is a processed food, the â€Å"hyper-palatable† combination of the Flamin' Hot Cheetos' fat, salt, and spiciness could potentially make it hard for people to stop eating the snack. Some research suggests foods high in fat and salt trigger areas in the brain linked to addiction. Our brain is really hardwired to find things like fat and salt really rewarding and now we have foods that have them in such high levels that it can trigger an addictive process.Why do we crave fatty foods you ask? Many people choose fatty foods as comfort foods when bored, stressed or upset. Comfort eaters may reach for familiar fatty foods or foods that remind them of better times. Eating fatty foods may become a distraction from your problems. Fatty food cravings may be largely a matter of habit. People often experience food cravings because they're accustomed to eating certain types of food in certain situations or in response to certain emotional cues.If you have the habit of eating fatty foods, then when you get hungry you'll start to crave fatty foods out of habit. Kids are particularly susceptible because they are still developing, and some researchers are finding craving levels in Cheetos-lovers similar to those of people addicted to drugs. To tell patients to stop eating the snacks is almost like talking to smokers about quitting smoking. The patients really don't want to hear that. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are being outlawed in some schools because they’re â€Å"highly addictive†.Hot Cheetos are bad because in the long run it can cause gastritis, inflammation of the stomach, it can cause ulcers. Some kids even ten or eleven years old have ulcers in their stomach because of this snack. Flamin' Hot Cheetos have an aura of danger which fuels their wild popularity  with kids. When it comes to addictiveness and poor nutritional quality, Flaming Hot Cheetos is your snack. I’m not saying Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is the worst snack ever, but it definitely isn’t the healthiest. A serving or two is okay every now and again, but don’t eat them every day.They affect your body more than you think. You might not see it now, but you will. I would recommend this snack to others to eat every once in a while, but I don’t think anyone should eat them all the time. The calories and salt in this snack is outrageous. Watch out because it is a delicious and addictive snack. It might make you a victim of its tricky and surprising addiction. How do flamin’ hot Cheetos affect the body? Sierra branch 1st period December 17, 2012 Work cited page www. cbsnews. com/†¦ flamin-hot-cheetos-under-fire-from-schools/ fox4kc. com/†¦ /report-flamin-hot-Cheetos-cau sing-some-panicked www. huffingtonpost. com/†¦ /flamin-hot-cheetos-banned-california www. girlslife. com/†¦ /Hands-off-Schools-ban-Flamin-Hot-Cheetos abcnews. go. com/†¦ /schools-take-aim-at-popular-flamin-hot-cheetos/ www. webpronews. com/flamin-hot-cheetos-banned-from-schools-20 www. gurl. com/2012/10/18/flamin-hot-cheetos-addictive/ www. businessinsider. com/flamin-hot-cheetos-2012-10 www. foodfacts. com/NutritionFacts/†¦ /Cheetos-Flamin-Hot

Pastrol Cycle Essay

The incident that I am going to be talking about, involves a year 10 female pupil. This member of the youth was always willing to participate in activities, willing to help at the end of the sessions or events that were being organised. Unfortunately, this member always wanted something far greater. An achievement that she could say I did that! I poured my heart into that! Over the next few weeks, I began to see a change in this member. I felt like she was giving up on helping us as thou she did not see the point no more and could not see things progressing. Her attitude towards other people also seems to change as thou she was jealous of other people who were helping out, or other people who were getting bigger jobs in the youth. Thou she never asked or came forward asking for a bigger part (confidence?) I did not know what to do with youth, I knew she wanted more and I could see that but did not know what path to take. I decided to talk with other leaders and they mentioned about the next youth camp coming up later in the year. Thou it sounded like a great idea I was concerned she was not ready or confident enough in her self to take up such a huge challenge, because she was new to the club. However, am I then putting my own fear in front of her ambition? Was I then going to put a halt on something so life changing? As a leader of the youth club, I knew it was in within my power to change something and act upon it. I decide to confront my own personal worries and pluck up the courage to talk to her guardian, I mentioned about the camping trip that the youth club was participating in, and some youth members there was an option to join in the service crew. I went to mention some of the roles that they could undertake and what was involved in being a service crewmember. At first, this guardian was concerned and unsure about sending their daughter to do something far greater than helping at the youth club, but slowly came to the understand that this could be the break and confidence boast that they needed. With her willingness to send her daughter to camp to be a member of the service crew, I decided to get to know this individual more and at the club. I would sit between her and her fellow friends and chat and listen to see what hobbies they enjoyed, activities in the club and what they wanted in life, there goals, but this member was also shy or scared of opening up to me. Over many weeks and recent talks, she became more confining in me. She was able to talk and share feeling about what she wanted to do in life. From this, I could see that there was great potential for this youth to gain a wider aspect in life’s achievements. It reminded me of me when I was growing up in a youth club, how I was shy and sacred of new things. How I felt alone and nobody understood me. How I felt that I was being ignore for being good or helpful. From my pass experience of my own life in a youth setting, I decided to draw on the willingness of her kindness and slowly over time got this member to open up more; I gave her an opportunity of being a my personal helper in the club. So that later on in life she could later work her way up if she so choose to and become a trainee leader. Sometimes it felt wrong for me to picking on a just one member but never did I feel like the youth were against me. I felt like they understood the situation and I also began seeing changes in the circle of youth I was interested in, they were also showing a willingness to lead a helping hand. It was like the first stepping-stone. Not only was I was helping one member of youth but her circle to. I decide to look up self-confidence in the bible for this member of the youth and maybe for my self as well. I found a passage that goes on to say: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love (NRSV 1John 4:18) This passage begins to answer the question on how much God loves us and believing in him is so important. Fear and worry signal that we are not yet perfect in our belief in how much God loves us. If we believe that the God of infinite power and wisdom loves no one in the universe more than us, what do we have to fear or worry about? We believe in how much He loves us, and then we know the trial is for our own good. Because of His love, we should know that a trial is not just an arbitrary act without rhyme or reason. Because He is God, it cannot be an accidental circumstance happening without His awareness or concern. From reading this passage I felt that this member needed a little pushing, I started to understand that fear should not stop no one in gaining something so huge in life. So I decided to mention about the service crew team at the campsite. I was waiting to hear silence or the answer of I will think about it, but instead I got a strong yes! There was no umm or r-ing it was as if they had gained so much confidence and needed something more. I felt a sense of achievement that I had changed, accepted, and understood this member. I am glad that I did not over look this person and gave up my own time to help them. I am glad that I listened to the other leaders and looked to the bible for inspiration. Looking back and reflecting on the way that I acted to this situation, I would say that there were grey areas. For example, I decided to talk with the guardian first maybe that was not the correct way or best way of things. I think I should have just gone straight to individual form day one and started a conversation to try to understand there difficulties and reasoning behind events. The reason for my thinking is because I am a youth leader and my job is there to get to know and understand individual needs. Thou granted this was my first time of acting on something, something I thought needed action and doing about but still I did play the safe card. Thou on another hand I am extremely happy that I achieved this person particular goal and changed them so great that even other leaders and parents congratulated me. That this person is now so confident they do believe that fear is no object that fear is just a simple word. However, it was just not one person I changed. Her circle of friends also changed and that was because I stepped into that friendship circle, and I now know and understand more than one person. I feel like I have personally changed to, because I would say for me it was a learning curve, and probably I grew in confidences to. Why, because I showed my self that I can do things for my self and others. Those other leaders do not have to do my work for me. From this experience, I decided to act more upon events in the club that if something did not feel or seems right I would investigate more into. From this I also feel that I have helped changed other members of the club and hopefully one day they will do the same for others. My goal is that one day the youths that I helped will help other in similar situations, and I happy to conclude that this member I mentioned about it now a trainee leader of our youth club, so now she can share her own experiences with other members of the club.

Beatniks: The New Ideology of Manifest Destiny and Freedom

The 1950s were a time of revitalization. They were a time of rebirth for the American people. World War II had ended and heralded the reinsertion and reintegration of thousands of service members into society. Working women who epitomized Rosie the Riveter and passed into the workforce along with their 12 million counterparts working when the US entered the war, saved the money they earned. Prior to the end of the war, there was not much to spend earned income on with the exception of war bonds. Afterwards, however, American industry expanded like never before. The buying power offered to Americans expanded, as well. Goods that were not available during the war became readily accessible. This increased the job market and stimulated the economy. Not only that, but the returning soldiers helped the US experience a population boom helping to facilitate a spike in consumerism. Veterans were starting families and were in need of housing which the Levitt family began and perfected, building housing areas called Levitt-towns. People were increasingly more materialistic—shopping for wants and not just needs. It was truly the Fabulous Fifties. Out of this time was born a generation of seeming radicals that fought against the agreed upon normalcy of the times. This ‘Beat Generation’ reimagined the ideals of Manifest Destiny and freedom because they wanted to be free to explore what was considered insanity by many but for them was artistic expression—a breaking free of conformist beliefs of the supposed American dream of materialism and gain. The Beat Generation or Beats, as they were sometimes called was a term coined by the author and member of this same generation Jack Kerouac during a conversation with fellow writer, John Clellon Holmes. He clarified his phrase by saying beat â€Å"meant being socially marginalized and exhausted—‘beaten down’—and blessed—‘beatific’ † (â€Å"Mid-1950s-1960s†, 2007). The term implied their generation was beaten down for their artistic nature and general deviance from mainstream behavior. Beatniks were labeled law breakers, troublemakers and rebel rousers and charged with being communists. In fact, in 1961 the director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover claimed that the beatnik lifestyle was in the top three major threats to American society and way of life. Kerouac and other founders of the generation took offense to this accusation. Their insistence was they merely wanted to be free to explore what may have been considered absurdity but really were searching for what they felt was missing in life. They were searching for a deeper meaning. They refused to be complacent just because the war had ended and the world was seemingly a better place. Things were not perfect just because the economy was on the rise. The war had not solved humanity’s problems and consumerism was just an empty shell for them. Therefore, this search for a higher self, took the form of experimentation. Many of the Beats were openly homosexual or bisexual and freely experimented with their sexual natures. They aligned themselves with the culture of jazz musicians and the music they made. Jazz music followed no preordained rules. There were no wrong notes no matter how raw. The more noisy and discordant, the better and more real—emotional—it sounded. The Beats raged in their literature and poetry, sounding much like discordant peals of music echoing from the saxophone of a jazz musician, against those who would suppress them. These feelings were elegantly detailed in the semi-mad ravings of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl. Like Ginsberg, many wrote under the influence of drugs like Benzedrine and marijuana, experimenting with them in order to achieve a state of transcendentalism. Gregory Stephenson (2009) explains it thusly, â€Å"The poet, for a visionary instant, transcends the realm of the actual into the realm of the ideal, and then, unable to sustain the vision, returns to the realm of the actual. Afterwards the poet feels exiled from the eternal, the numinous, [and] the super conscious. The material world, the realm of the actual, seems empty and desolate. The desolation the Beats felt was born from the feeling of being out of sorts and disconnected with a world no longer theirs. This made them howl. They howled, they cried out, they wailed and fought against a forced subjugation. And thus, refusing to be subjugated, they were ostracized. Thereby, making them howl more and inspiring the title of Ginsberg’s poem. In analyzing the poem, it is clear Ginsberg wanted to accomplish two things. First, he wanted to exact an unmistakable and distinct delineation between those who fall under the Beatnik category and those they feel are the conformists of their time. Secondly, he made it known that this was their declaration, it was their manifesto of freedom. â€Å"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angel headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of nigh, who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyes and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1955). The material world Stephenson speaks of and the fix Ginsberg speaks of correlates to the Beats movement centered on a lifestyle of a total rejection of this mainstream idea that one and one must always equal two, one must always know when the right time is to settle down, what constitutes a productive member of society, a person must write and speak in formalities, have a certain religion, wear what is acceptable and love who is acceptable in order to be accepted into society. They used alcohol and drugs to feel and then proceeded to write down what they felt, even if it was not in a formal order that made sense. Therefore, â€Å"the academic community derided the Beats as anti-intellectual and unrefined†¦Established poets and novelists looked down upon the freewheeling abandon of Beat literature† (â€Å"The Beat Generation†, 2013). Furthermore, this ‘freewheeling abandon’ applied to more than just the literature of the Beat movement, it applied to their psychical bodies, as well. American history was based on an idea of expansion, evidenced by a phrase coined in 1845 by editor, John O’Sullivan, called â€Å"Manifest Destiny†. Those that settled in the newly founded America believed â€Å"courageous pioneers†¦had a divine obligation to stretch the boundaries of their noble republic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Manifest Destiny†, 2013). And yet in the 1950s these ideals America was founded on came to a screeching halt despite the mass production and affordability of automobiles and the interconnectedness of cities by highways. People became complacent and began to settle down in Post-World War II newly built homes in newly generated housing areas. The word of that era was conformity. The houses were all built to a certain style; the yards were groomed in the same way; the people behaved in a manner as what was expected of them. The idea of buying a home and being stationary represented a large section of what the Beat Generation saw as conforming to a capitalist and consumer-based lifestyle. The Beats advocated a hobo type of lifestyle, rather than one weighed down by physical possessions. â€Å"These men†¦were attempting to escape what were perceived as the restrictive shackles of the nuclear family but†¦rejected the trappings of a settled bourgeois lifestyle and were geographically mobile† (McDowell, 1996). So the romanticism surrounding Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical book On the Road, which spoke to those in this generation and wanting to relate or understand them, also became the definition of the ideology of the Beat Generation. An ideology which said ‘Life should be actively lived and you must make of it what you want, not what others tell you to want to make out of it’. It was about â€Å"†¦grabbing and doing it. It was about not wanting to stay somewhere and rooting, but rather going somewhere and making your own reality† (â€Å"American Road†, 2011). Kerouac epitomized this in his book: â€Å"†¦I left with my canvas bag in which a few fundamental things were packed and took off for the Pacific Ocean with the fifty dollars in my pocket. I’d been poring over maps of the United States in Paterson for months, even reading books about the pioneers and savoring names like Platte and Cimarron and so on, and the road-map was one long red line called Route 6†¦I’ll just stay on 6†¦I said to myself and confidently started†¦Filled with dreams of what I’d do in Chicago, in Denver, and then finally in San Fran,†¦I started hitching up the thing† (Kerouac, 1957). He wondered and daydreamed about what he would do in those cities, but knew what he did not want to do. Kerouac’s character, Sal, did not want to miss out on anything by becoming deadened, which is silently implied, had he joined the rat race and gotten a job. It was wasted energy. He â€Å"hated the thought of it†¦There were so many other interesting things to do [and meet]† (Kerouac, 1957). The ideals incarnate in his book through his characters were an open and honest free love of people, an enjoyment of the experiences that were happening in the now, and a meeting of the minds of ll types and races of people. They were colorblind. And this was also new in a time when people who were different were excluded or called communists. In a time when Joseph McCarthy was initiating a ‘Red Scare’ and accusing citizens of being communists and Hoover’s G-Men were illegally wire-tapping politicians and regular citizens alike, people had become overly sus picious of everyone. People were anxious to show militarism and an acquiescence to conform to what was inherently American. Yet, in spite of this, Beatniks marched to their own poetry and beliefs. Ginsberg howled and Kerouac left on a holy trek to find a true inner consciousness, laden with real freedom and genuine spontaneity. Several times, Sal’s character considered traveling elsewhere instead of his intended destination for no other reason than to see where the roads would take him or what or who would lie in that particular direction. Though most, if not all, those in this beat generation originally came from a middle class background, they rejected it as being conformists and closed minded. â€Å"Conformity [to them] was born from fear of the political system† (â€Å"American Road†, 2011). They were not afraid though they felt this overt obsession with conforming to an evil government and material possessions was killing the spirit and creativity found within. This idea was further cemented by Ginsberg statement of the best minds of his generation being destroyed. In the second part of Howl, Ginsberg continually mentions the name or entity â€Å"Moloch† and in the context he uses it, one can ascribe a negative connotation to it: â€Å"What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness! Ashcans and unobtainable dollars†¦Moloch the heavy judger of men! Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows! Moloch whose buildings are judgment! Moloch the cast stone of war! Moloch the stunned governments† (Ginsberg, 1957)! This entity â€Å"Moloch† no doubt represents all the things in American society considered to be the norm, but for the Beat Generation is stifling and oppressive. Cement and aluminum were the utensils builders used to build homes like Levitt-towns and universities that inhibited free thinking and self-expression. He mentions unobtainable dollars because the pursuit of money and material possessions was a fleeting happiness. Once possessed, it is no longer desired. And everywhere they turned there was heavy judgment, except from their own kind. The publishing and almost instant success of Jack Kerouac’s book, On the Road, as well as the publishing of other Beat writers, like Allen Ginsberg, marked the beginnings of an evolutionary change. The Beat Generation became a subculture that truly impacted America. Men and women—teenagers and young adults, were finding themselves increasingly disillusioned by a lifestyle that was centered on home and work. People were taking a page from Kerouac’s life and hitting the road on a journey to find themselves and what meaning life really had for them. They were taking verses from Ginsberg’s manifesto and â€Å"†¦bit[ing] detectives in the neck and shrieked with delight in policecars for committing no crime but their own wild cooking pederasty and intoxication†¦ (1957). Indeed, the Fabulous 50s brought with it trials and tribulations, materialism and consumerism, and in general, the earmarks of an American social way of being that is still prevalent today. But within that culture, a counterculture was also born whose inhabitants were not satisfied with the world as it was. They were not satisfied with what the world wanted to turn them into. They wante d to march to the beat of their own drum; to experience what was out there in the world and truly be liberated. Born of this desire was the Beat Generation, the forebears of the hippies of the 1960s. They advocated a freedom and liberation of minds and bodies. They wanted to be liberated of all censor. They wanted the freedom to love hard and fast, to travel at will and forsake the idea that in order to be truly happy one had to engage in a rat race of empty labor for money and material possessions. The Beatniks reinforced and reimagined the ideals of Manifest Destiny and chose to manifest their destiny of finding the freedom to be themselves and love it despite opposition. References Films Media Group (2011). American Road [H.264]. Retrieved from http://digital.film-s.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=18596&xtid=48260 Ginsberg, A. (1955-1956). Howl. Collected Poems, 1947-1980. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 McDowell, L. (1996). Off the Road: Alternate Views of Rebellion, Resistance and ‘The Beats’. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/622491 Stephenson, G. (2009). Daybreak Boys: Essays on the Literature of the Beat Generation.